The present invention relates to apparatus for examining and measuring an object by means of penetrating radiation, such as X rays or gamma rays, and more particularly means for continuous rotation of a source of penetrating radiation, means to collimate the beam of radiation, means to maintain the source, collimator and detectors in a stable measurement plane, and shielding means for protection from radiation and protection of mechanism from heat when dealing with hot objects, such for example, as red-hot steel.
Such scanning, examining and measuring devices have been known in the last few years as computer-aided tomography scanners or as CAT scanners. Uses for such CAT scanners beyond the original medical uses of detailed views of the human brain are continually being developed in different industries.
With the radiation required to operate these devices there is always a danger from too intense radiation from a defective radiation source or from an accident to such radiation source.
In addition it is contemplated to use the present device with continuously moving red-hot steel which poses a danger to the comparatively expensive mechanism from the intense heat emitted by the steel moving through the center of the device.